Pikes Peak Marathon
Manitou Incline Closure August 2019
The Manitou Incline will be closed during the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon, Aug. 24 and 25, 2019, 6am to 5:30pm. The closures are implemented due to safety concerns during the events.
Runners will be on Ruxton and Barr Trail Saturday morning and most of the day on Sunday. Much of the parking near the Incline base will be closed off. Also search and rescue is involved with the running races so resources will be limited for potential injuries elsewhere.
Incline Closing August 18th and 19th, 2018 for Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon
The 2018 Pikes Peak Ascent is August 18th and the Pikes Peak Marathon is August 19th. Colorado Springs Parks and Rec has decided to close the Incline for the entire weekend.
Runners will be on Ruxton and Barr Trail Saturday morning and most of the day on Sunday. Much of the parking near the Incline base will be closed off. Also search and rescue is involved with the running races so resources will be limited for potential injuries elsewhere.
Incline Closing for 2016 Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon
Update from the Iron Springs Melodrama mid-morning on Saturday: The incline is open the rest of the day today and will be open from 3:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. tomorrow. That is from the El Paso County Sheriff Deputy who is sitting at the bottom and it’s fixing to leave, once again nobody puts out the right information about this thing.
The 2016 Pikes Peak Ascent is August 20th and the Pikes Peak Marathon is August 21st. Unlike past years, Colorado Springs Parks and Rec has decided to close the Incline for the entire weekend. This is an extra bummer since the Incline closes for repairs the following day.
Friday August 19th will be the last day to hike the Incline until early December. Members of the Incline Friends Board of Directors will be at the bottom of the Incline on the 19th at 7 AM and again at 6 PM to answer questions. They’ll be handing out free popsicles. Rumor has it they’ll also have tissues for those shedding tears over the Incline closure.
Incline Closures August 15th and 16th Weekend
The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon are this weekend, August 15th and 16th (2015). The Ascent is on Saturday and the Marathon is on Sunday. About 1800 runners will head up Barr Trail Saturday morning and Sunday around 800 runners will go up Barr Trail to the summit and back down.
This year the city of Colorado Springs has decided that Incline users and that many runners on Barr Trail would be a bad mix. The Manitou Incline will be closed Saturday morning until 11 AM and it’ll be closed until 2 PM on Sunday.
Runners will still be coming down Barr Trail after 2 PM on Sunday but should be fairly spread out. While you’re returning on Barr Trail, please pay attention to runners coming up behind you and let them pass you. That’s actually what you should do on any day.
The Colorado Springs City Parks Department highly recommends Incline users to refrain from using the Incline during this weekend due to congestion and road closures. The Incline will resume normal hours of operation (dawn to dusk) on Monday, August 17. See complete Manitou Incline rules here.
Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon August 16 & 17, 2014
This Saturday is the Pikes Peak Ascent and Sunday is the Pikes Peak Marathon. On Saturday the 1st Wave starts at 7 AM and the 2nd Wave at 7:30 AM. Barr Trail should be clear after 8:30 AM for runners going up.
Sunday the start is 7 AM but there will only be a small window before runners will be coming back down Barr Trail until late afternoon. The cut-off for an official Pikes Peak Marathon time is 5 PM but runners will still be coming down after that time.
If you still want to go this weekend, try avoiding Barr Trail while the racers are on it. The racers have right of way and have trained hard for the event so please respect them and stay out of their way.
On Saturday there will be no parking on Ruxton Avenue and some side streets from 4 AM until 8 AM. Sunday there will be no parking 4 AM to 5 PM. Also because of the race, the free Manitou Incline shuttle won’t be running up to the Iron Springs Chateau. Iron Springs Chateau will have their $5 a day parking open starting at 5 AM both Saturday and Sunday.
The Manitou Incline closes at 6 AM Monday and will be closed until early December. This weekend is your final chance to hike the Incline before repair work is done. Just beware of the racers and let them complete their races as quickly and safely as possible. If you want to get one last hike in, Saturday after 8:30 AM would be the best time.
Avoid Incline Sunday August 18th, 2013
The Pikes Peak Ascent was this morning which made it difficult to get to the Manitou Incline until after 8:30 AM. Access tomorrow, Sunday August 18th, 2013, will be tough until late afternoon.
The Pikes Peak Marathon starts at 7 AM on Manitou Avenue and goes up Ruxton and on to Barr Trail. The leaders will be coming back down Barr Trail and Ruxton mid-morning. Slower runners will still be coming down well in to the afternoon.
There will be no parking on Ruxton throughout the day. Runners will be coming down Barr Trail so it’s best to stay off it. If you feel the need to hike the Incline tomorrow, please wait until late afternoon or evening to avoid disrupting the Pikes Peak Marathon.
